Roughriders fans were royally entertained

For a while, the Saskatchewan Roughriders were celebrating a statue-tory Holley-day.

On Canada Day, an 18-yard pass from Kevin Glenn to the Roughriders’ Caleb Holley produced the first regular-season touchdown at $278-million Mosaic Stadium, outside of which a new statue had been unveiled earlier in the week.

Holley’s landmark major gave the Roughriders a 10-0 lead over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Saskatchewan’s advantage eventually swelled to 17-3 before Winnipeg erupted for 24 consecutive points, thanks in large part to two rapid-fire touchdown receptions by erstwhile Roughriders star Weston Dressler.

Just when it seemed that the Roughriders had imploded, again, they erased a 37-23 fourth-quarter deficit by creating their own brand of July 1 fireworks — back-to-back touchdown passes by Glenn that created a 37-37 tie and forced overtime.

The excitement basically ended there, from a Roughriders perspective. Saskatchewan settled for a game-tying Tyler Crapigna field goal to conclude the first overtime session. Crapigna then found the left upright with a 33-yard attempt, creating an inevitable opportunity for Justin Medlock to break the deadlock.

Medlock’s 28-yard field goal gave Winnipeg a 43-40 victory, ending a wild game that was a spectacular display of Canadian professional football.

The score was appropriate, considering the presence of Dave Ridgway (who performed the ceremonial kickoff) and Glen Suitor (who was in the TSN booth). On Nov. 26, 1989, Suitor pinned the ball for a 35-yard Ridgway field goal that gave Saskatchewan a 43-40 Grey Cup victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

For the Roughriders, a storybook ending was not to be on Saturday. Crapigna missed a field goal in the clutch for the second successive week, leaving Saskatchewan with an 0-2 record.

That sounds like a broken record for the Roughriders, who since 2015 are 1-19 in games played in June, July or August.

Yet, something about Saturday’s game felt different.

The Roughriders’ first two games of the 2017 season have been decided by a last-play field-goal attempt — one successful, one stressful — so there are signs of progress in the aftermath of another loss.

Roughriders fans have become all too accustomed to ugly football, lopsided defeats, and the dissipation of hope.

This year, by contrast, there is a brand-new stadium and an accompanying resilience on the part of the Roughriders.

On June 22, quarterback Kevin Glenn moved the Roughriders into field-goal range against the host Montreal Alouettes, who won 17-16 when Crapigna was wide from 45 yards away.

Nine days later, Glenn threw for 377 yards and four touchdowns, energizing what had been a silent stadium after the Bombers erupted for three third-quarter aerial TDs in a span of 6:47.

The prognosis was grim at that point. Matt Nichols’ 87- and nine-yard payoff pitches by Dressler, whose majors were 37 seconds apart, must have felt like a knife-twister for Roughriders fans who had hoped that he would be resplendent in green and white for the long-anticipated opening day.

Dressler had registered the Bombers’ first first down — at 2:10 of the second quarter — against what was a carnivorous Saskatchewan defence for most of the first half.

By the third quarter, however, the once-stout defence had turned to porridge, and members of the secondary suddenly resembled, well, statues. It looked like another dreary day in Riderville, despite the opening-day festivities and the introductions of luminaries such as Ridgway and George Reed.

Fittingly, the Bombers led the Roughriders by a score of Reed (34) to Ron Lancaster (23). Ultimately, the 43-40 verdict was also a reminder of Saskatchewan’s storied history.

Glenn, for his part, engineered a Lancasteresque rally by throwing touchdown passes to Nic Demski (with 9:31 left in the fourth frame) and Naaman Roosevelt (with 1:51 remaining).

Then came overtime, another missed field-goal attempt by a kicker who excelled in the clutch last year, and the latest post-mortem.

Since Medlock’s game-ending field goal, questions have been posed about the Riders’ placekicking, vulnerability on defence, and inability to nail down a game.

But they did come oh, so close.

During the second overtime session, Glenn handled off to Cameron Marshall on first-and-10 from the 24-yard line. It looked very much like the Riders’ tailback had clear sailing to the end zone, only to have Jamaal Westerman intervene and trip up the ball-carrier for a five-yard gain.

Shortly thereafter, Crapigna hit the upright and the outcome became obvious.

The Roughriders soon suffered their 37th loss in their past 47 meaningful games. Keep in mind, though, that several of those games have been strictly for show, the Roughriders’ exclusion from the playoffs having long been secured. And many of those contests have been utterly unwatchable.

As a refreshing contrast, there was Saturday night’s spectacle.

Roughriders fans may lament the result, but nobody can say that they were not well-entertained. In that, there should be some solace.

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